Portable electric generating apparatus.



V. SBNGE. PORTABLE ELECTRIC GENERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

V H 7 J k 6 Z 8 8 18 z 1 ,0 l. 6 1 w "we A Q i ITEM V .W. 7.9 UT 6 M z m M d m w w l 4 HM. v 0M 0 am 5 H 8 6 7 J m & z

V. SENGE.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC GENERATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

zzzzzmzz/ 5 mm nfoz VICTOR SENCE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC GENERATING AFPALRATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913 Application filed June 25, 1912. Serial No. 705,820.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR Simon, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York city, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Electric Generating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. p My invention relates to portableapparatus for operating small incandescent lamps and comprises a compact mechanism for generating the necessary current set in a small flask or casing, adapted to be conven- 5 iently carried in the hand, and means for operating said mechanism by pressure of the thumb of the hand holding the flask.

Heretofore portable incandescent lamps" have been operated by small storage batteries alone, which batteries soon run down and require recharging .usually at a time when the light is most needed. My invention overcomes this difiiculty and provides an apparatus which is always ready to supply light up to the full candle power of the lam T e best formof apparatus at present known to me embodying'my invention is illustrated in the accompanying two sheets ofdrawings in which,

Figure 1 is a central section of the apparatus. -Fig. 2 is an edge elevation. Fig. 3 a plan view. Fig. 4 a diagram ofthe electrical circuits,- and Fig. 5 a central section of the storage battery. 4

Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

1 is a flask shaped casing preferably formed of non-conducting material com-- posed of two portions and 41 cemented together. I I 2 is a small incandescent electric lamp set in the neck of the flask: I

' 3 isa small storage battery.

4 is a small-dynamo or dther mechanical generator-of electricity, the poles or commutator brushes of which are connected by wires 5, 5, to the contact screws 26, 26, form'- ing the charging connections of the battery.

\ 6 is a pinion on the armature shaft of the 1 generator meshing with gear 7 on counter.

shaft: 8 carrying pimon'-9.. A gear; 10 on driving shaft 11 meshes with pin-ion9, and the drivin shaft carries pinion 12 loosely mounted t ereon. The ratchet wheel 13 is rigid with pinion 12 and meshes with pawl i 14 pivoted on a spoke of gear wheel 10. Le-

ver 16 pivoted at 27 inside the flask 1 carries a toothed sector 15 which meshes with pinion 12. This lever projects through an opening 17 in one edge of the flask and is normally held in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1,' by spring 18.

' In the dlagram (Fig. 1) 19, 19, represent wires running from theplates" 20 and 21 of battery 3 to center contact 24 of the lamp 2, and shell contact 25 of the lamp socket (see Fig. 1). v

5,. v5, represent wires running from the charging contacts of battery 3 to the poles of the generator 4, represented by commutator brushes 28, 28. In Fig. 1 the generator shown has crescent shaped field magnet 29, armature winding 30, and armature pole piece 31.

The preferred form of storage battery shown in Fig. 5 has a closed casing 32 filled with slag wool, 22, or fine spun glass fibers,

or equivalent mineral fiber which is a non- Y conductor of electricity and partial absorbent of the acid used in batteries of this kind. The battery plates 20, 21, are embedded in this fiber which prevents the fluid from escaping if the battery is'tipped sidewise or even turned upside down. A small vent 23 is left in the shell or casing 32 for the escape of gas generated, by the battery inaction. The filling-of spun mineral fiber also prevents the battery plates from touching' one another ands ort-circuiting in case they should buckle a keeps the active materiaLin position. I

In use theoperator holds the flask 1 in forms the pulsating current so generated into a constant current supplied to lamp 2, lncandescing the same.

Thev storage battery might be omitted,

other forms of mechanical generator used, and the improved form of battery shown could-be used in other portable apparatus.

his hand and periodically forces lever 16' The advantages of myv invention arise from the fact that thegenerator is driven by the motion of a movable member, preferably a lever, projecting from the casing, movable at right angles to the surface of said casing, andpreferably located under the thumb of the operator, whereby, as the casing is held naturally with the lamp projecting forward, the entire muscular forceof the hand can be conveniently exerted to force the movable member toward the casing by the contraction of the hand, the casing and movable projection being pressed together between the thumb and all four fingers, or palm, of the hand. In this way the power necessary to generate a useful amount of light can be easily and continuously exerted by a person of ordinary muscular development for some time without fatigue. 1 7

Having, therefore, described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a portable casing adapted to be grasped by the hand of an operator, of an incandescent electric lampset in one end of said casing,'a mechanical generator of electric current located in said casing and connected to said lamp, a lever fulcrumed in, and projecting out of, the casing at a point under the thumb of the hand of an operator grasping the casing in a 'normal manner, and ratchet gearing conveying motion from said lever to said generator, the. projecting end of said lever being movable in a. direction substantially normal to the axis of the casing.

2. The combination with a portable casing adapted to .be grasped by the hand of an operator, of an incandescent electric lamp set in one end of said casing, a mechanical generator of electric current located in said casing and connected .to said lamp, a lever fulcrumed in, and projecting out of, the

casing at a point under the thumb of the hand of an operator grasping the casing in a normal'manner, and ratchet gearing conveying motion from said lever to said generator, the projecting end of said lever being movable in a direction substantially normal to the axis of the casing together with a storage battery also located in said casing and connected in series between the generator and lamp.

3. The combination with a flasked shaped casing formed of electrically non-conducting material adapted to be grasped by the hand of an operator, of an incandescent electric lamp set in one end of said casing, a mechanical generator of electric current located in said casing and connected to said lamp, a lever fulcrumed in, and projecting out of, the'casing at a point under'the thumb of the hand of an operator grasping the casing in a normal manner, and ratchet gearing conveying motion from said lever to said generator, the projecting end of said lever being movable in a direction substantially normal to the axis of the casing.

4. The combination with a flask shaped casing of electrically non-conducting material provided with the usual terminal neck and with a slot near said neck, of an incandescent electric lamp set in said neck, a mechanical generator of electricity located in the body of the flask and connected to said lamp, ratchet gearing for rotating said generator and a lever connected to said ratchet gearing, projecting out of the flask through the slot therein and extending alongside the neck thereof.

VICTOR SENCE. Witnesses: I

' A. PARKER-SMITH,

M. G. CRAWFORD. 

